Jump to content

Our Holiday Antarctica Adventure


Chairsin
 Share

Recommended Posts

A hearty pre Christmas greeting to all.

 

I have finally recovered from our travels to the Torres Del Paine and Easter Island before embarking on the Quest on the 19th. The past few days on board have flown by and we are getting into a different sort of Seabourn rhythm. I am delighted that it appears many of our fellow travelers on this cruise are on as much for the adventure as for the usual Seabourn pampering. These for the most part are people who are easy going and have more important things to focus on than a little lapse in service here and there and instead are enjoying all of the holiday decorations, marvelous scenery, and good company.We have a complement of 20 plus Ventures crew on board we really have set the tone early on on this voyage and we could not be more delighted. These talented people are experts in many fields and I have found myself engaged in long conversations with them as we stand out on deck for hours at a time scanning what horizon for birds, glaciers, etc.

 

I will post more later on the usual topics (food, service, wine, etc) but as I am shortly hosting a Christmas Eve Penguin Party for 8 of us in our suite followed by dinner I will sign off for now.

 

Tomorrow Punts Arenas where where internet permitting I will continue to put down my thoughts.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chairsin it will be great to follow you on your adventure to Antarctica as it will bring back fond memories of our cruise a couple of years ago on the Quest

Hope you have the same nice weather we had

We are heading the other way early January on the Soujourn around Asia for 28 days so it will be slightly different temperature wise

Edited by Thecat123
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chairsin. Can't wait to read about your adventures. Looking forward to hearing about the weather, the seas, your gear and any tips for packing, your private tour recommendations for the ports and most importantly, that you are having a great time :-)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed, can't wait to hear more as we are joining the Quest at the beginning of Feb! Would love to know if you find out if Captian Dag will remain on for the last Antarctica cruise as we would love to see him again!! Safe travels!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very interested to read your postings. We plan to sail the Antarctic next year. Looked at adventure ships, but luxury beckons! Wish that Seabourn sailed to South Georgia on the cruises following the Christmas cruise.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Galeforce9

We were returning from our first penguin tour out of Punta Arenas when I saw your post. We did not feel anything here but then we were out on a small boat and on little Magdalena Island. I will ask the crew if they felt anything but then we are quite a bit south of the epicenter. Thank you for your concern

 

Our Christmas Eve penguin party was great fun. Think we turned a few heads in the Restaurant in all of our penguin paraphernalia. I had Christmas stockings for my friends with their names in glitter to use as Place cards and in side each person received a pair of penguin socks from Santa. Seabourn crew (as usual) went out of their way to help with our festive table decorations. Dinner was lovely.

 

I will not be posting a review as such but will discuss various aspects of the cruise. Let me start with what usually is of interest -- key crew. As many of you know we have two Captains, Larsen in the Ice captain and Dag is the regular captain. We are in very good hands. Next the Hotel Director is Phillip with whom we have also cruise before. I find he has matured in the role and is running a very happy and efficient hotel operation. The Chef is Andreas -- don't know him but the food has been much too good. Overall soups have been served hot, meat properly done and in general flavor very good if slightly underseasoned (which is a non issue as you can always adjust the salt and pepper to your taste). The CD is Jan with Ashley as her very strong right arm. Trivia well run (we are bouncing between first and second place) and shows have gotten good reviews from others though we have yet to make it to one. Also on board Damir is the very personable and helpful Asst. Maitre'd without whom I good have not organized my cocktail party and dinner party.

 

The ship has been nicely decorated for the holidays. Some think decorations are a bit on the cheesy side but it is not really practical now to have live Christmas trees on board. I chimed in by putting up a small tree in our suite and a wreath on our door complete with a stuffed baby penguin coming out of its shell (you know -- when in Rome). As with the Encore pics there are massive gingerbread displays in three locations surrounds by piles and piles of goodies that are constantly replaced. Last night we received a nice crystal bottle stopper as a Christmas gift from Seabourn.

 

As we are about to complete the bulk of our non Antarctica ports I can only say I am fairly neutral about them. Puerto Monty was ok -- we took a private tour to the lake and volcano with friends. Castro was a bit more scenic with colorful houses up on stilts around the water. Today being a Christmas much of Punta Arenas was closed so we were grateful a group of 8 from our CC roll call found an tour to go visit the cute little magellenic penguins along with their hatchlings. It gave us a nice penguin preview for Antarctica. But the whole point about this cruise from our perspective is the stops in Antarctica and South Georgia island.

 

Tomorrow I will tackle the always highly debated topic of food and wine!

 

Merry Christmas from the bottom of the earth.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Chairsin, good to read your post as always. You certainly have a sense of occasion and get into the spirit of the season. On top of which you know how to make a good party brilliant. It brings a smile to the readers of your posts. Keep on enjoying.

Happy Boxing day from Down Under

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed, can't wait to hear more as we are joining the Quest at the beginning of Feb! Would love to know if you find out if Captian Dag will remain on for the last Antarctica cruise as we would love to see him again!! Safe travels!

 

 

Agree, and Travelhop, we live 50 miles south of you on the beach so see you on board.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For those that are interested, the expedition staff are again posing commentary and photos along with the hourly positions on the Yellow Brick site. We have enjoyed following along since our 2014-15 Antarctic adventure on Quest.

 

https://my.yb.tl/seabournexpeditions/5024/

 

Regards,

Paul

Edited by topkatz
Date correction
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Top Katz,

Yes, good point. Thank you for pointing out the blog. It is a big help to those who don't stand out on deck half the day with the Ventures team and want to catch up on what has gone on and what we have seen. And of course fun for those at home to feel like they are taking this journey with their friends and family.

 

Given the focus of this trip is less about the usual Seabourn cruise issues and more about the unique environment we are in I will defer my thoughts on the food and wine until after South Georgia islands. Especially as we have been warned that over the next 8 days Internet will be spotty.

 

At our first intro to the Ventures team their leader and Captain Dag (who as of now will be one the whole season) stressed that we should keep our expectations low and and maintain a flexible attitude. No landing in Antarctica are guaranteed and on some days they may have to suspend operations due to weather. On the other hand there might be a bonus. At tonight's briefing as we pulled out of Ushuaia we were informed we are making a high speed run across theDrake Passage tonight which if all works our would give us an extra day in Antarctica or a built in make up day in car we run into problems later. The negative is that in about three hours we will be out of the Beagle Channel in the passage under extremely windy conditions -- winds of 40-60 knots per hour. Looks like we won the bumpy ride lottery.

 

Tomorrow we will attend required briefings to prepare us for the next phase of our journey. It is mandatory for all those who plan to step on the continent. We have all been given arm bands that correspond to our five landing groups -- how they determine who goes in which group is not clear but it is not be deck level. What is nice is that if anyone decides to pass on a landing instead of giving your slot to another passenger they will give the slot to on of our well deserved hard working crew. Brilliant!

 

We had a parka exchange the first day of the cruise and tomorrow we will receive Or boots and have an option for a boot exchange. I'd also like to add the in addition to the nice little backpacks we all received we all received really cute and want black knit hats with penguins on them. I did not expect that. Also if you don't want to pack your binoculars they have provided a basic pair in each suite. Another nice touch.

 

Each day so far a few of the Ventures team member are outside Seabourn Square to search for ingesting geological features and wildlife. They are quick open to discussing most anything one on one with the passengers. They also have been doing two lectures on each sea day and one on other days one topics ranging from seabirds, tectonic plates to baleen whales.

 

In sum while we have done adventure trips with true expedition companies I really feel as though this cruise is a genuine hybrid offering the full adventure and luxury experience.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had a fairly active evening 60knot wind whipped up the waves. BUT it was not as bad as I had anticipated and I have frankly encountered more severe motion in the Bay of Biscay, Straits of Hainan and the North Sea. However, I did put a patch on last night "just in case" and woke up this morning after a good night's sleep with no ill affects from either motion of the ship or the patches (which I have not used in over 20 years).

 

This morning there was an hour long briefing to reinforce our understanding of the IAATO (international association of Antarctic tour operators) regulations regarding our landings. After that were were called by color group to the Club for bio security check of our outwear and to sign a form stating we agree to the regulations. This afternoon there was a boot swap. We had a moment of panic this AM when we tried on ours as DH's were too small and mine too big.it turned out it was simply a matter of mislabeling the on bags they were delivered in -- so we had our own private boot swap. Given all of the landing housekeeping matters which took place today there was no Trivia. And given we start landing tomorrow likely we not play until a week from now when on our way to South Georgia.

 

This afternoon we had our first Penguin lecture. Our Ventures crew member Brent focused on gentoo, Adele, and chinstrap varieties -- complete with his very impressive impressions of their calls. Again I have to say we are so lucky with the breadth of their expertise and willingness to share their knowledge with us. Yesterday they had us up a six and out on deck as we cruised though "Glacier Alley" with a narration over the loudspeaker system describing what we were seeing. And tonight we will have another pre dinner briefing from the expedition team no doubt with the "preliminary/ final" details on where we will be landing tomorrow and a recap of procedures for getting dressed. We may also be told the estimate schedule for the landings.

 

So for now, seas have claimed and we are two thirds of the way along our passage to the Antarctic peninsula. We have been told that we may start seeing icebergs anytime now so as well as keeping our eyes pealed for whales we are looking out for icebergs. Tomorrow we may have our first encounter with the penguins. Can't wait!

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for bringing us along with you Chairsin! I must confess to a stab of envy :D but do keep the reports coming.

 

I hope things are good on Quest. As you know I was onboard Oct/Nov and I have to say despite our awful weather and missing two ports it was one of my best SB cruises. Many crew were leaving for Encore the day we disembarked so I very much hope all is good for you.

 

Interesting that you mentioned Straits of Hainan, I've never really been too bothered by rough seas but my oh my, I felt it there after we departed Hong Kong on Sojourn a few years back!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Before I describe our first day of landings I will touch on the issue of service and new staff as it has affected our cruise since there seems to be a an issue in some of the other ships. . Overall I would have to say the percent of new crew on our ship is low. So if there was some cannibalism on other ships to launch the Encore it has been a non issue here. Most of the service has been excellent in our opinion -- even with our relatively new housekeeper. As with anyone new to a job a little encouragement and understanding goes a long way. I sometimes think the poor stewardesses are the unsung heroes of Seabourn. They work hard over long hours and rarely receive the praise they deserve. One woman kept composing that her suite was rarely cleaned until early afternoon. Occasional this has been the case with our suite as well but to us it is a nonissue. Seriously, they are not super humans and cannot clean all of the cabins first.

 

 

This morning very early we arrived in the South Shetland island just off the east side of the main Antarctica land mass. The water is a still as glass and a perfect morning for our first zodiac rides to shore on Yankee Harbor. There is hardly a breath of wind and there are large patches of blue sky proving a lovely contrast to the show capped hills that surround this bay. I believe the temperature was in the low to mud 30's. It is a gorgeous day in Antarctica!!!

 

Shortly before 7:30 our color group was called to the Club where they double checked that our blue zodiac life vests were on properly. From there we went to staging area behind the Club where each cabin had s metal cage where our boots were stored. One we were properly shod we directed outside to wait our turn for the zodiac. Just before we stepped into the zodiac we stepped into a tub with disinfecting solution. We had a short five minute ride to a pebbly beach where we hopped into shallow water and walked to shore.there were expedition crew positioned along the route where we were allowed to walk.Yellow flags and ropes also delineated the areas where we could and could not walk. There were about a dozen very large elephant seals in various stages of molt along the beach and we walked by a large number of Gentoo penguins. We also encounter some rookeries were parents stood with their babies who were trying to cuddle up and under. We also saw some penguins laying in their nests indicating that their chicks had yet to hatch. At one point a nesting penguin stood so we were able to briefly see the eggs. How very special! Then after an hour on shore we disinfected our boots and returned to the ship Via the zodiac . Once back at the ship I

We reversed the process and removed the boots and put them back in the storage cubicle. As another ship will be arriving this afternoon we will be departing in the afternoon to head to our next landing site.All in all we have been very impressed at how flawlessly the whole logistical side of this operation is run. As we sit here in Seabourn Square we are watching a whale cluster to shore as it surfaces now and then revealing its dorsal fin and we have seen at least three blows.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fascinating Chairsin. I get a real sense of being there alongside you!

 

Can I ask how splashy the zodiac was? I guess not much so as the conditions were calm but would you say a waterproof rucksack is important for your stuff? I know Seabourn provide a small one but I have lots of camera gear. Also, were people taking photos from the zodiac en route? Finally, did you have walking poles, or was it ok without? Thanks

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gayleforce9,

I am glad you and others are enjoying my cruise musings. Normally I would not provide such detailed information but before we booked cruise we had many questions regarding the nut and bolts of how this particular cruise operated. Thus thought those of you who booked it for later this season or the next one might find the information useful.

 

We did not get a drop of water on us from the zodiac ride- but then there was hardly a ripple in the water. Tomorrow might be a whole different story. The pack they give out is water resistant and is about 12x24 inches. Some people with hugs lenses did bring waterproof bags.I will make to mention on future days if it becomes an issue. As to your other question, we brought sticks with us on this trip mainly because of the precruise days of hiking we did around the Torres Del Paine.This morning we did not bring our sticks as I could see the shore from the ship before we left and the terrain did not look like it would warrant bringing them. Again, as with the zodiac ride it could be a whole different story tomorrow. As to taking pictures from the zodiac I don't recall anyone doing that as we were pretty tightly seated around the perimeter and it would have been had to get out anything other than a pocket camera. And in their safety instruction they ask all to have nothing in their hands getting in a out of the zodiac.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chairsin - Excellent posts, please keep them coming. Like you, most of my cruising has been on 100-passenger expedition ships, so my major concern about this Quest trip is the number of passengers compromising the time spent ashore. Please let us know if any landing group are unable to go ashore for any reason. This might become critical at South Georgia where you have limited time - less than 2 days - and where the weather can change in the blink of a penguin's eyelid.

Edited by Fletcher
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fletcher,

We had debated long and hard whether to go to Antarctica via Seabourn or an expedition vessel such as Lindblad's NG Explorer. In the end we chose Seabourn because we heard wonderful things from friends about the expedition side of this cruise and as I do not like sea days I figured I would rather be spending them in the comforts of Seabourn. I now know I chose the right option for us. I spoke to one of the Ventures team members who used to work for them and he said that the two landing a day notion is a bit misleading as usually the send landing is usually across s busy from the first do not an entirely different area. So far all landing groups have been able to land at each location.

 

As we we sailed away from Yankee Harbor we cruised around Deception island which sports the most active volcano in Antarctica. As we approached the far side the Captain mention there was a hidden Bay inside accessed by a narrow opening and he said as the sad gods were being kind we would go in. Lovely bag and on the shore on one side were the remnants of the darker past -- a few structures from s whaling station. We also saw a large colony of chinstrap penguins who had marched high rocky hill to next. They were like so many polka dots scattered across the landscape. With many of us crammed into the Obs Bar we continued sailing in the direction of our next intended landing.

 

At the evening briefing we were told the next day we were headed to Neko Harbor and our first true continental landing. The key would be the amount of sea ice as the zodiacs can't maneuver through heavy ice fields. Well the next morning we were in a winter wonderland. Blue sky provided a lovely contract to all of the hills blanketed in snow, no wind and temps so warm we did not wear our puffer jackets under our parkas. By now everyone is pretty much in sync with the procedure to get dressed, retrieve boots, and muster to head ashore with their group. We had s wet landing and them were immediately in the midst of squeaking gentoo penguins -- this group was further behind in the reproduction schedule and had not chicks yet and were sitting on their pebble nests to incubated their eggs. A fun option for those fit and with sticks was a snow hike straight up the hill a good distance to a rocky outcrop overlook. We were rewarded for our efforts ( really only possible for those with sticks) to get an amazing view. Again I have to say, being one who enjoys adventure trips as much as pampering Seabourn cruises I really do feel as though I am getting the full expedition experience. The Ventures crew not only give interesting lectures but they are everywhere on the ship and shore to educate us about what we are seeing.

 

*i do want to make a note about hiking sticks. My husband and I have each hiked with our own pair for over 15 years and thus know how to use them. Unfortunately we were very much in the minority yesterday as many had rented them through Seabourn and had no clue how to adjust them to the proper lengths, hold them, so you don't poke someone's eye out and most of all how to hike with them. If you are going to rent the, please consider going to a sporting good shop and ask a knowledgeable person how to use them. I was concerned yesterday that not only were many not getting the full benefit of using them but they were actually danger to other passengers in this very slippery, deep snow as we trudged up the narrowness path of the steep incline.

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know I am beginning to sound like a broken record but we had two more beautiful days. Yesterday we were anchored in a calm bay by the Palmer Research Station where three of our Expedition crew used to work. Instead of a landing we all went on very scenic zodiac ride in and around the numerous small islands. On my tour the Expedition leader was very excited when we spotted 8 crabeater seals lounging on an iceberg. We also saw colonies of Adele penguins and elephant seals. Once back at the ship we spent two hours outside the Obs Bar watching a group of humpback whales who not only came close to the ship but close to the zodiacs. Wish I'd been on one of those zodiacs.We on deck were however treated to watching them perform their fascinating bubble net feeding ritual.

 

It was such a beautiful warm day and since the sail away was extra scenic as we transitied a narrow passage with high snow covered hills on both sides the crew scrambled to put on a Caviar on a ice party on the Patio. deck and they canceled the pre dinner expedition briefing. While we were headed out we passed the HAL Zeedam heading in. It made us all feel extra grateful not only to be on such a wonderful ship but especially one small enough to allow landings.

 

Today, New Years Eve, we are in another panoramic bay with a Chilean Military outpost. We rode the zodiacs ashore where we were able to get very close to nesting gentoo penguins and there was the option of posting a postcard to friends and family from Antarctica. Again, the weather was sunny, warm clear with virtually no wind. We are hearing rumors that there may be a change in the weather. But for now the ship is being decorated in her New Years finery and we will ring in 2017 in style with an intimate dinner in the TK Grill and attend the big Gala Event after. Here is wishing all a great 2017!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...